Report: FTC Gives Google A Few Days To Offer A Proposal

Last month, reports came out indicating that the FTC would reveal its formal decision about whether or not to file an antitrust suit against Google. Here we are waiting, but not for long, from the sound of it.

Bloomberg is reporting, citing "two people familiar with the situation," that FTC Chairman Jonathan Leibowitz is pressing Google to make an offer to settle the investigation in the next few days or face a formal complaint.

According to Bloomberg's sources, Google has been talking with the FTC for about two weeks, but has not put forth any proposals, and the FTC is prepared to file a case against the company. Bloomberg's Sara Forden reports:

The FTC has told Google it won’t accept a resolution short of a consent decree and is prepared to take action in the next week or two, one of the people said.

Google is sticking with the classic "We continue to work cooperatively with the Federal Trade Commission" canned response on the subject.

While competitors have been eager to see action brought against Google, the notion that there should be has been highly criticized by more than a few people (including recent FTC nominee Josh Wright).

Congressman Jared Polis recently sent a letter to Leibowitz saying that any discussion about antitrust with regards to Google "defies all logic". Some analysts agree, mostly on the basis that antitrust law is designed to protect consumers, and that consumers can easily use alternatives to Google (which has essentially been Google's own stance).